The 35th meeting of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society was held in Big Sky, Montana from March 8–15, 2008 and featured presentations on a wide range of orthopedic topics.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania presented a study on the effects of dietary caloric restriction on the development and progression of elbow osteoarthritis (OA). The researchers followed 48 paired Labrador puppies from 7 litters; 24 in a control group for caloric intake and 24 that were fed 25% fewer calories. The elbows were monitored radiographically for the prevalence and severity of OA at 6 y and 8 y, and at the end of the dogs’ lives when gross pathologic and histopathologic evaluation of the elbow OA was also completed. The study found that elbow OA was more prevalent at the end of life but not at 6 or 8 y in dogs with higher caloric intake. Radiographic severity of OA was greater in this same group at 6 y and at the end of life. There was no difference between the 2 feeding groups in terms of the prevalence of OA on gross and histopathologic examination; however, the calorie-restricted group had a significant increase in OA severity on gross and histopathologic examination. The researchers postulated that this may have been due to the fact that the caloric-restricted group had a mean 1.8 y longer lifespan than the control group resulting in more time for the OA to progress (1). These findings provide further evidence of the benefits in quality of life and extended lifespan for dogs that are kept in lean body condition.
The relative benefits of using tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) surgery for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture compared with other procedures, especially the modified retinacular imbrication technique (MRIT), have been debated with little science upon which to base a choice. A force plate trial involving 22 dogs with previous CCL transection and surgical stabilization was presented. Twelve of the dogs had received TPLO and 10 had undergone MRIT. All surgeries had been done at least 6 y previously. Force plate measurements of the weight-bearing on the hind limbs showed very similar readings between surgical and nonsurgical limbs in both groups and similar readings between the groups. As well, measurements of joint ranges of motion for all hips, stifles, and hocks were similar in surgical limbs of both groups. The study concluded that no clinically significant differences in weight bearing could be found between the TPLO and MRIT groups at 6 y after surgery, and that both techniques seemed to be acceptable for the treatment of CCL rupture (2).
The load-bearing distribution pattern in the coxofemoral joint has been studied in canine and feline in vitro models in recent years (3,4). A kinematic analysis of coxofemoral joint angles in the greyhound was used to prepare in vitro models of the right femur and right hemipelvis from 10 greyhound cadavers. The models were then loaded and the relative load-bearing distribution was measured in the cranial, middle, and caudal regions of the acetabulum. The testing showed that all regions of the acetabulum were subject to significant load-bearing with the cranial and caudal regions being the most important. The significance of these findings pertains to recommendations for management of acetabular fractures. Previously, the caudal 1/3 of the acetabulum was considered to be unimportant in terms of weight-bearing and the recommendation was often made that fractures in this area could be treated conservatively. These recommendations were based on extrapolations from human studies and appear to be invalid in the dog and cat (3,4).
References
- 1.Huck JL, Biery DN, et al. A longitudinal study on the influence of lifetime calorie restriction on the development of osteoarthritis in the canine elbow. (abstract) Vet Orthop Soc Annual Meeting. 2008:5. [Google Scholar]
- 2.Millis DL, Durant A, Headrick J, Weigel JP. Long term kinetic and kinematic comparison of cruciate-deficient dogs treated with tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or modified retinacular imbrication technique. (abstract) Vet Orthop Soc Annual Meeting. 2008:12. [Google Scholar]
- 3.Moores AL, Moores AP, Brodbelt DC, Owen MR, Draper ERC. Regional load bearing of the canine acetabulum. (abstract) Vet Orthop Soc Annual Meeting. 2008:13. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.06.026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Beck AL. In vitro evaluation of regional load bearing in the feline acetabulum. (abstract) Vet Orthop Soc Annual Meeting. 2004:48. [Google Scholar]